[Mark_]

I’m kinda leaning towards the shorted battery since the charger never was able to charge it.

I would try putting any battery in just to get it down the hill. Watch your connections as mentioned. Then once down the hill put the bad battery in and get a repair from the dealer.

I don’t think I’d go the no battery hooked up route. Too many electronics....

I was thinking more like hooking up a conventional battery pack directly to the KL battery cables, and leave it there until the Jeep is down the hill, This is a not a pretty proposition... heh, and requires crafty work.

Thanks for the advice and warning. I got lent a 2017 Grand Cherokee today and my thought was that I'd be able to swap that battery out and connect it to my Cherokee. Then I remembered that the battery might be under the passenger seat. Not sure I trust myself to tackle that. I'm not very savvy with that kind of stuff (if that wasn't obvious already)!

Looking quickly at the Autozone fitment guide, it looks like a recent GC would have an H6 or H7 battery, so those are a match for the KLs. However... I wouldn't touch a battery in a loaner, just in case something happens and the dealership would get mad at you...

Just for kicks : can you get another vehicle to boost you again ? If so, remove your battery connectors and hook up the booster cables from their battery to your battery cables/connectors directly. If that works, then your battery is toast and you can ask the dealership for a new one ; if they hesitate, bring in your old one so they can test it and they'll see...

 

[Brandaloo]

I was thinking more like hooking up a conventional battery pack directly to the KL battery cables, and leave it there until the Jeep is down the hill, This is a not a pretty proposition... heh, and requires crafty work.

Looking quickly at the Autozone fitment guide, it looks like a recent GC would have an H6 or H7 battery, so those are a match for the KLs. However... I wouldn't touch a battery in a loaner, just in case something happens and the dealership would get mad at you...

Just for kicks : can you get another vehicle to boost you again ? If so, remove your battery connectors and hook up the booster cables from their battery to your battery cables/connectors directly. If that works, then your battery is toast and you can ask the dealership for a new one ; if they hesitate, bring in your old one so they can test it and they'll see...

OK, I see what you're saying now. So instead of hooking the jumper cables up to my battery terminals I would instead hook them up to the cables that I will disconnect from my battery. Is that correct? And that's why you were telling me to be careful not to cause a short circuit. I think I can give that a shot.

 

[Mark_]

OK, I see what you're saying now. So instead of hooking the jumper cables up to my battery terminals I would instead hook them up to the cables that I will disconnect from my battery. Is that correct? And that's why you were telling me to be careful not to cause a short circuit. I think I can give that a shot.

Exactly. Removing your battery from the boost is the goal ; if it is shorted or has damaged cells, it could be preventing boost attemps from working. Maybe wrap the connections in rags to prevent them from touching each other or any metal. Maybe put a piece of cardboard on top of the battery once you've removed the connectors, too.

About the Cherokee battery connectors : you'll notice the positive one has a weird mechanism for tighening, and the only way to get it to fit tight when you put it back on is to make sure it sits as low on the battery post as possible, so twist down as you push, then tighen the nut. The negative connector is more beefy and is less difficult to put back on tight. Twist/push down as well, to be sure. You'll also notice there is a black plastic *thing* on the negative battery cable just before the connector : that is the intelligent battery sensor and it appears to be somewhat fragile, so be careful not to hit it or grab it directly when you twist down the connector. I'm telling you all this just in case you end up installing another battery. Guess you'll need to put the old one back in even if the testing in unsuccessful, so you'll be better prepared regardless...

 

[Mark_]

Here's a picture of the battery in your Jeep, below. I highlighted the nuts you need to loosen to remove each connector. I had removed the negative connector there when I took the pic, so you are not hallucinating The nut on the negative connector sits at an angle, as you'll notice. The IBS (intelligent battery sensor) is highlighted there too (it is rather large).


Good luck...

 

[Brandaloo]

Here's a picture of the battery in your Jeep, below. I highlighted the nuts you need to loosen to remove each connector. I had removed the negative connector there when I took the pic, so you are not hallucinating The nut on the negative connector sits at an angle, as you'll notice. The IBS (intelligent battery sensor) is highlighted there too (it is rather large).


Good luck...

Thank you so much for the detailed instructions and warnings. I'll give that a shot as soon as I get a chance and let you know how it goes.

 

[Jeepster1]

Thank you so much for the detailed instructions and warnings. I'll give that a shot as soon as I get a chance and let you know how it goes.

Its most likely the battery that failed.
You can jump and or boost all you want and it will not start if the battery is failed. The vehicle will not function if the battery will not work properly.
Also you may get lights ect but the draw to start the vehicle is huge in amps and most failing batteries can not deliver those Amps.

If you have no idea of what you are doing and can not have the vehicle towed for what ever reason THEN PLEASE do not do it yourself. If you have ever seen an exploding battery that's installed wrong or the connections are crossed its not pretty. Severe injuries can result not just to yourself but to the vehicle. Just from following the thread its obvious you need a professional for your Cherokee.

Now all you have to do is find a battery shop or repair shop that will do an onsite battery replacement. Even a friend that knows what they are doing will work.
If in the unlikely result that does not work the vehicle will have to be towed at any rate, so you will be back to square 1.

I can not believe that a tow can not get that vehicle out. If not you have the wrong tow company.
So have someone get a new AGM battery in that Cherokee and quit messing with it. Odds are very good it will solve your problem. Also be sure to save the old battery and your receipt for the dealer so you can be reimbursed under the warranty.
Good luck.

 

[Reel Crazy]

Would it be easier? Go to auto zone and buy a new battery. Put it in and try it. If it does not cure the problem = return it.. Rough start - with your new Jeep. Bummer

 

[Brandaloo]

Would it be easier? Go to auto zone and buy a new battery. Put it in and try it. If it does not cure the problem = return it.. Rough start - with your new Jeep. Bummer

I thought of that but I assumed that autopart stores like Autozone wouldn't accept returns on things like a battery. How would they know I'm returning the one I bought and that I'm not ripping them off and returning an identical but old battery?

Do you know for sure that Autozone accepts returns on batteries?

 

[Brandaloo]

Thanks for the input.

Its most likely the battery that failed.
You can jump and or boost all you want and it will not start if the battery is failed. The vehicle will not function if the battery will not work properly.
Also you may get lights ect but the draw to start the vehicle is huge in amps and most failing batteries can not deliver those Amps.

If you have no idea of what you are doing and can not have the vehicle towed for what ever reason THEN PLEASE do not do it yourself. If you have ever seen an exploding battery that's installed wrong or the connections are crossed its not pretty. Severe injuries can result not just to yourself but to the vehicle. Just from following the thread its obvious you need a professional for your Cherokee.

Now all you have to do is find a battery shop or repair shop that will do an onsite battery replacement. Even a friend that knows what they are doing will work.
If in the unlikely result that does not work the vehicle will have to be towed at any rate, so you will be back to square 1.

I can not believe that a tow can not get that vehicle out. If not you have the wrong tow company.
So have someone get a new AGM battery in that Cherokee and quit messing with it. Odds are very good it will solve your problem. Also be sure to save the old battery and your receipt for the dealer so you can be reimbursed under the warranty.
Good luck.

My worry, as I mentioned below is that if I go out and buy a new battery for a couple hundred dollars and it turns out that a new battery didn't solve my problem then I wouldn't be able to return the battery and get my money back. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming that I can't return a battery though?

 

[Mark_]

My worry, as I mentioned below is that if I go out and buy a new battery for a couple hundred dollars and it turns out that a new battery didn't solve my problem then I wouldn't be able to return the battery and get my money back. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming that I can't return a battery though?

I'm not in the retail business so I cannot say 100%, and I am in a different country with possibly different consumer laws... This is why I'm trying to see if a boost without your battery connected would work, because if it does, you can probably let the dealership know, bring them your faulty battery and they could give you a new one on the spot, under warranty.

I'm pretty sure you guys have a minimum amount of time to return things you buy. Here it's 30 days no questions asked on almost everything. Except underwear :grin:. Where things may get complicated is if the store you go to has an exchange policy, not a return/refund policy...

 

[Brandaloo]

I'm not in the retail business so I cannot say 100%, and I am in a different country with possibly different consumer laws... This is why I'm trying to see if a boost without your battery connected would work, because if it does, you can probably let the dealership know, bring them your faulty battery and they could give you a new one on the spot, under warranty.

I'm pretty sure you guys have a minimum amount of time to return things you buy. Here it's 30 days no questions asked on almost everything. Except underwear :grin:. Where things may get complicated is if the store you go to has an exchange policy, not a return/refund policy...

Ya most things you are able to return or exchange but there are exceptions that vary. I bought a $20 relay thing from the local autoparts store and he told me that they don't accept returns on electronic type parts. I'd think a battery would fall under that. I guess I could have spent the 2 minutes it took me to type this and just called the Autozone and ask! I think I'll do that tonight when I get home from work.

 

[Mark_]

Ya most things you are able to return or exchange but there are exceptions that vary. I bought a $20 relay thing from the local autoparts store and he told me that they don't accept returns on electronic type parts. I'd think a battery would fall under that. I guess I could have spent the 2 minutes it took me to type this and just called the Autozone and ask! I think I'll do that tonight when I get home from work.

So I'll assume no other vehicle is going up there to possibly give you a boost ? If you have booster cables and someone else to help, you could *possibly* get a boost from the loaner Grand Cherokee ? And yes I suggest someone with some experience help you do this... because a boost may seem simple but there are risks involved...

 

[Brandaloo]

So I'll assume no other vehicle is going up there to possibly give you a boost ? If you have booster cables and someone else to help, you could *possibly* get a boost from the loaner Grand Cherokee ? And yes I suggest someone with some experience help you do this... because a boost may seem simple but there are risks involved...

My Dad went up there when the problems first happened and tried to jump it with no luck. He has a huge 1 ton truck too so I'd think his battery would have been sufficient to work. He knows what he's doing too so I don't think jumping it is going to work. He didn't try connecting the jumper cables to my battery cables (instead of the battery terminals) so I think that's the next thing we will try.

It's supposed to rain here all the way through Wednesday/Thursday of next week so I won't be getting a tow until at least then. Thankfully the dealership gave me a loaner vehicle. My whole family actually likes the loaner vehicle better than the 2019 we bought, go figure.

 

[Mark_]

My Dad went up there when the problems first happened and tried to jump it with no luck. He has a huge 1 ton truck too so I'd think his battery would have been sufficient to work. He knows what he's doing too so I don't think jumping it is going to work. He didn't try connecting the jumper cables to my battery cables (instead of the battery terminals) so I think that's the next thing we will try.

It's supposed to rain here all the way through Wednesday/Thursday of next week so I won't be getting a tow until at least then. Thankfully the dealership gave me a loaner vehicle. My whole family actually likes the loaner vehicle better than the 2019 we bought, go figure.

Ok... I'll just have to be patient then :wink:
I'm not questionning your previous boost attemps, not at all, and yes it sounds like your dad's truck is plenty good to give your Jeep a proper boost. I'm just going by elimination here trying to get the Cherokee down that road on its own power... because the towing option is not a great one, neither is rolling down in neutral with an activated parking brake and no juice for the power steering...

 

[Brandaloo]

Just spoke with Autozone.

They said that if I hook a newly purchased battery up to my vehicle it is no longer able to be returned. It's been awhile since I bought a new battery myself, do they come with some type of plastic caps or a seal or something that they could use to know if I hooked the battery up or not?

 

[jcool001985]

Yes batteries do have plastic caps on the posts you have to pull off but more than likely they would look at the lead posts for marks which would identify if the new battery had been installed. Would be up to the employee if they check and enforce that policy though...
If you have any friend or family with a spare car you can always snag a battery from it just to test. Of course that battery needs to be known good. And make sure you connect the cables correctly to the battery posts. Dont mix them up. Sparks and bad things happen aka fried vehicle computers.

 

[Mark_]

Just spoke with Autozone.

They said that if I hook a newly purchased battery up to my vehicle it is no longer able to be returned. It's been awhile since I bought a new battery myself, do they come with some type of plastic caps or a seal or something that they could use to know if I hooked the battery up or not?

Yeah that figures... New batteries often come with removable plastic caps ; mine had them (different battery manufacturer though) and I can easily put them back on. However... new battery post are all nice and shiny, adn when you put on a connector on them you scratch them up immediately. And since you've already asked, they'll probably look very closely if you ever to bring one back... But to be honest, some storesa actually charge batteries that sit on shelves for a while, and that alone would scratch up the posts with the little clamps... so I'm not really sure they can actually *prove* you hooked it up. Some of us are better than others at BS-ing our way out of things like this... and I know I'm not one of them, heh. So let's not get your hopes up you could pull this off with Autozone... Trying a boost is, in my humble opinion, the easier option right now. A boost without your battery in the circuit, I mean (= disconnected).

Edit to add : I have another idea. Since you have the loaner now, why not bring your Cherokee battery in so the dealership can load test it ?

 

[Reel Crazy]

Go to Walmart - they'll take it back no questions asked..

 

[Mark_]

Go to Walmart - they'll take it back no questions asked..

We can do that here too... or so I've heard.

Just in case you do decide to hit Walmart, I've looked again on their site and, burried somewhere, I found that they have the AGM H7 battery in stock again, after months of *out of stock*. And it's only $165.
If your local Walmart doesn't have the AGM, then they will likely stock the regular H7 (= group 94R) Everstart, for $150.

AGM (Walmart) : https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Platinum-AGM-Battery-Group-h7/40685088
Regular H7 : https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-H7/20531542

If you go that route (Walmart) and it does work, I suggest you drive the Cherokee to the dealership, take out the Walmart battery right there and return it. Tell them you didn't know your old one was under warranty...

 

[Brandaloo]

Can you help me figure out which setting should be selected on this charger in order to charge my battery? I want to make sure that I'm doing it correctly and I have my doubts. There's very limited instructions on the unit itself and it says to refer to the instruction manual. Well, mine didn't come with a manual and I gave up looking for one online after an hour.

I had it set on the top position which is "Charge/Maintain 6*2A" but my uncle told me that's not what I should have done because that setting is for maintaining a charge or what he called a trickle charge. He thinks that I should have the middle one selected that says "Boost 10A."

When I first used this charger and had it on the top setting (Charge/Maintain 6*2A) the middle button on the right column that says "charging" lit up. Once the battery is fully charged that "charging" light is supposed to go out and the "Charged/Maintaining" light is supposed to come on and pulse. Well I had it hooked up for about 2 days on that setting and the light never changed or went out.

What's weird is that when I hooked it up this morning and selected the middle setting (Boost) none of the lights on the right side lit up at all. I was expecting to see the middle button on the right column to turn on and indicate that my battery was charging but I got nothing. I googled this and found 1 similar but vague scenario with one answer to it. They said that this same thing happened to them and that the button on the right under "charging" never came on because that meant that his battery was NOT holding a charge at all.

Here's the charger in question. On a side note, at the end of the 2nd day of having this thing connnected and running on charge/maintain, I did drop the selection down to "engine start" and gave it a try. Of course it didn't work at all.

https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-and-specialty-tools/battery-charger/duralast-50-amp-12-volt-battery-charger/412270_0_0